History of this model:

In February 1924, George Crouch began designing Baby Bootlegger for Caleb Bragg, automobile champion and seaplane pilot. Caleb Bragg has competed in the Gold Cup before and as a member of the very high profile Columbia Yacht Club he harbors a desire to recapture the lost trophy held since 1915 by the sailors of America's east coast on behalf of the industrialists of Detroit. It was built by the Nevins shipyard on City Island in New York. From the moment it was first seen, the appearance of this boat caused a sensation, arousing both surprise and admiration for its original style and extraordinary shape. It was equipped with a Hispano - Wright V8, the marinization of which is very promising. In 1924, the Wright company took an intense interest in the connection between airplane and motorboat racing. It's not surprising that Baby Bootlegger's shape and behavior when navigating bring him to a subtle boundary between air and water that approximates a seaplane ball valve. The very well-kept construction is made of double plank mahogany from Honduras, the assembly is carried out by means of thousands of countersunk screws.
In the 1924 Gold Cup, which takes place in 3 rounds, 3 clearly stand out from the average competitors, Rainbow IV, Baby Bootlegger and Miss Columbia, all 3 bred by Georges Crouch. These 3 boats finish in the above order, but a competitor unaffected by his first 3 places complains against the winner, Rainbow IV, for the illegality of his hull. Finally, Rainbow IV is disqualified in favor of Baby Bootlegger. Unhappy with that win by default, Caleb Bragg won a new win at Manhasset Bay in 1925 ahead of Miss Columbia. The maximum speed recorded by Baby Bootlegger is 73.5 km/h. In 1927, Baby Bootlegger stopped competing and was sold to the Timberlake family, who will keep him until 1947, leaving him almost abandoned. It is then restored by Mr. Mason